Interactive television triggers having connected content/disconnected content attribute

Abstract

An interactive television system includes “connected” receiver units capable of establishing bi-directional connections to remote information stores, such as Web servers, and “disconnected” receiver units unequipped to make such connections. The system supports the use of broadcast triggers that include connectivity values indicating whether an information resource identified by a trigger refers to “connected content” or “disconnected content.” The term “connected content” refers to information resources that require bi-directional connections to remote information stores; the term “disconnected content” refers to information resources, such as a locally stored program guide, that do not require such bi-directional connections. Disconnected receiver units identify and reject connected-content triggers by examining connectivity values broadcast as part of triggers. Thus, content providers can broadcast connected-content triggers to connected and disconnected receiver units without interrupting disconnected receiver units with links to inaccessible content. Furthermore, the ability to distinguish between connected and disconnected content allows vendors who sell or lease receiver units to offer a lower level of service to those customers who do not wish to pay for the ability to access connected content.

1. In an interactive television system that includes a receiver having customizable configuration information specifying whether the receiver is connected or disconnected, wherein the receiver can receive both connected content that can be accessed when the receiver is connected and disconnected content that can be accessed when the receiver is disconnected, a method for preventing a viewer from being interrupted by links to inaccessible enhanced content when the receiver is disconnected, the method comprising:
 storing configuration information specifying whether a receiver is connected to, or disconnected from, a bi-directional connection to a remote source, wherein the configuration information can be customized to control when the receiver will execute a connected-content trigger that links to connected content and when the receiver will execute a disconnected-content trigger that links to disconnected content, the connected content comprising enhanced content that is accessed by the receiver when the receiver is in a connected state and the disconnected content comprising enhanced content that is accessed by the receiver when the receiver is in a disconnected state, and wherein the receiver will only execute a connected-content trigger and thereby access the connected content when the configuration information specifies that the receiver is connected; 
 receiving a content trigger linking to enhanced content, wherein the content trigger includes a plurality of fields, the plurality of fields including at least a location field referencing a location of the enhanced content, and a separate connectivity field indicating whether the enhanced content is connected content or disconnected content; 
 determining, based on a connectivity value within the connectivity field within the content trigger, whether the content trigger is a connected content trigger or a disconnected-content trigger; 
 upon determining that the connectivity value distinguishes the trigger as a connected-content trigger, and upon determining that the configuration information indicates that the receiver is connected, executing the connected-content trigger to thereby access the enhanced content from a remote source over the bi-directional connection to the remote source; and 
 upon determining that the connectivity value distinguishes the trigger as a disconnected-content trigger, regardless of whether the configuration information indicates that the receiver is connected or disconnected, executing the disconnected-content trigger, wherein the disconnected-content trigger identifies enhanced content that is accessed from local storage without the bi-directional connection to the remote source. 
 
   
   
     2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein disconnected content is content that does not require a bi-directional connection to a remote information store. 
   
   
     3. The method in  claim 1 , wherein executing a connected-content trigger comprises at least one of establishing and maintaining a bi-directional connection to a remote information store. 
   
   
     4. A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein executing a connected-content trigger comprises displaying information associated with the connected-content trigger. 
   
   
     5. A method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 modifying the configuration information from specifying that the receiver is disconnected to specifying that the receiver is connected. 
 
   
   
     6. A method as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the configuration information is remotely modified by a third party. 
   
   
     7. A method as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the configuration information is modified by a user of the receiver. 
   
   
     8. A method as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the receiver receives and executes a connected-content trigger after the configuration information specifies that a previously disconnected receiver is now connected. 
   
   
     9. A method as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the connected-content trigger is received by the receiver when the configuration information specifies that the receiver is disconnected, and wherein the receiver stores the connected-content trigger at least until the configuration information specifics that the receiver is connected. 
   
   
     10. A method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the receiver executes the connected-content trigger at a later time when the configuration information specifies that the receiver is connected. 
   
   
     11. A method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 modifying the configuration information to change the receiver from being connected to disconnected. 
 
   
   
     12. A method as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the configuration information is remotely modified by a third party. 
   
   
     13. A method as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the configuration information is modified by a user of the receiver. 
   
   
     14. A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the configuration information is stored in a local memory of the receiver. 
   
   
     15. A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the connectivity value indicates that the content trigger is a connected-trigger even when the connected-trigger links to locally stored enhancement content. 
   
   
     16. A method as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the locally stored enhancement content links to additional enhancement content that is accessible to the receiver through a bi-directional connection to a remote source. 
   
   
     17. A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein a connected content trigger is filtered out and subsequently ignored by the receiver upon determining that the receiver is disconnected. 
   
   
     18. A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the location field is a URI. 
   
   
     19. A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the connectivity field containing the connectivity value is a value within an attribute/value pair, wherein the connectivity value specifies whether the content trigger is a connected content trigger or a disconnected-content trigger. 
   
   
     20. A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein when the receiver is disconnected, the available enhanced content is more limited than the enhanced content available when the receiver is connected. 
   
   
     21. A receiver having customizable configuration information specifying whether the receiver is connected or disconnected, wherein the receiver can receive both connected content that can be accessed when the receiver is connected and disconnected content that can be accessed when the receiver is disconnected, and wherein the receiver prevents a viewer from being interrupted by links to inaccessible enhanced content when the receiver is disconnected, the receiver comprising:
 means for storing configuration information specifying whether a receiver is connected to, or disconnected from, a bi-directional connection to a remote source, wherein the connection information can be customized to control when the receiver will execute a connected-content trigger that links to connected content and when the receiver will execute a disconnected-content trigger that links to disconnected content, the connected content comprising enhanced content that is accessed by the receiver when the receiver is in a connected state and the disconnected content comprising enhanced content that is accessed by the receiver when the receiver is in a disconnected state, and wherein the receiver will only execute a connected-content trigger and thereby access the connected content when the configuration information specifies that the receiver is connected; 
 means for receiving a content trigger linking to enhanced content, wherein the content trigger includes a plurality of fields, the plurality of fields including at least a location field referencing a location of the enhanced content, and a connectivity field indicating whether the enhanced content is connected content or disconnected content; 
 means for determining, based on a connectivity value within the connectivity field in the content trigger, whether the content trigger is a connected content trigger or a disconnected-content trigger; 
 means for, upon determining that the connectivity value distinguishes the trigger as a connected-content trigger, and upon determining that the configuration information indicates that the receiver is connected, executing the connected-content trigger to thereby access the enhanced content from a remote source over the bi-directional connection to the remote source; and 
 means for, upon determining that the connectivity value distinguishes the trigger as a disconnected-content trigger, regardless of whether the configuration information indicates that the receiver is connected or disconnected, executing the disconnected-content trigger, wherein the disconnected-content trigger identifies enhanced content that is accessed from local storage without the bi-directional connection to the remote source. 
 
   
   
     22. A receiver as recited in  claim 21 , further comprising means for modifying the configuration information. 
   
   
     23. A system comprising:
 a receiver as recited in  claim 21 ; and 
 a transmitter transmitting video and the trigger with the video. 
 
   
   
     24. A system as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the connected-content trigger is received by the receiver when the configuration information specifies that the receiver is disconnected, and wherein the receiver stores the connected-content trigger at least until the configuration information specifies that the receiver is connected. 
   
   
     25. A system as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the receiver executes the connected content trigger at a later time when the configuration information specifies that the receiver is connected. 
   
   
     26. A computer program product comprising one or more computer readable storage medium having encoded thereon computer-executable instructions for executing by a processor for performing the method recited in  claim 1 . 
   
   
     27. A computer-program product as recited in  claim 26 , wherein the method further comprises modifying the configuration information. 
   
   
     28. A computer-program product as recited in  claim 26 , wherein the connected-content trigger is received by the receiver when the configuration information specifies that the receiver is disconnected, and wherein the receiver stores the connected-content trigger at least until the configuration information specifies that the receiver is connected. 
   
   
     29. A computer-program product as recited in  claim 28 , wherein the receiver executes the connected-content trigger at a later time when the configuration information specifics that the receiver is connected. 
   
   
     30. A computer program product as recited in  claim 29 , wherein the later time is an end of a delay period beginning upon receipt of the connected-content trigger. 
   
   
     31. A computer program product as recited in  claim 26 , the method further comprising:
 receiving a disconnected-content trigger; and 
 distinguishing the disconnected-content trigger based on a connectivity value associated with the disconnected-content trigger. 
 
   
   
     32. A computer program product as recited in  claim 31 , the method further comprising:
 executing the disconnected-content trigger.